The regulations send a clear signal to industry – business as usual operations will become significantly more expensive, and zero or near-zero (ZNZ) technologies and fuels represent one of the better opportunities to make deep emissions cuts. Following the historic vote at the IMO, we explore critical timelines for the new regulations, compliance thresholds, mechanisms for vessels to comply, and uncertainties that remain.
At Singapore Maritime Week, Maritime & Port Authority of Singapore and Australia’s national science agency CSIRO announced funding for eight maritime decarbonization projects, including ammonia safety training, and an AI-based safety management system. MPA also signed agreements with ABS, the Ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp-Brugges, and confirmed it has contributed to early work on training guidelines for the safe handling of methanol and ammonia at the IMO.
The American Bureau of Shipping has granted AiP for two new autonomous technology packages developed by Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering and Hyundai Heavy Industries: an unmanned ammonia engine room, plus an AI safety package with rapid-response capabilities.
A series of new AiPs underlines momentum for marine ammonia fuel. For bunkering, barges and a range of jetty-less transfer terminals will enable safe operations. Fuel systems that can be retrofitted to existing vessels are also under development, as is an ammonia-powered “feeder” container vessel to complement larger designs.
Several ammonia-centric vessel designs were granted AiP at the recent Posidonia shipping exhibition in Greece. Lloyd’s Register approved designs including the world’s largest Very Large Ammonia Carrier, a container vessel and a gas carrier propelled by Amogy’s ammonia-to-power technology, a NOX-compliant container vessel featuring a MAN ammonia engine, and an ammonia-powered Very Large Ore Carrier. Lloyd’s Register also recently approved H2SITE’s onboard ammonia cracking technology.
The American Bureau of Shipping, Fleet Management Limited, Sumitomo Corporation, TOTE Services and CALAMCO will explore the feasibility of ship-to-ship bunkering at the Ports of Oakland and Benicia, leveraging CALAMCO’s existing ammonia import and storage terminal at the Port of Stockton.
Korea Research Institute of Ships & Ocean Engineering’s offshore hydrogen & ammonia production design has received Approval in Principle from the American Bureau of Shipping. In Scandinavia, the Norwegian government has awarded funding for two ammonia-fuelled vessel projects as part of a NOK 709 million funding round (including Yara Clean Ammonia & Viridis Bulk Carriers).
Expected to become commercially available in 2025, WinGD’s X-DF-A ammonia powered engines will be fitted on Samsung Heavy Industries’ newbuild vessels. Eastern Pacific Shipping expects its ammonia powered Newcastlemaxes and VLAC fleet to be delivered from 2026 onwards, after signing a series of agreements with MAN Energy Solutions and other key partners.
This week, we explore three new onboard systems: the Mitsubishi Ammonia Supply and Safety System (MAmmoSS®), Singapore-based C-LNG Solutions’ new ammonia low flash point fuel supply system, and a new NOx emission mitigation system developed by Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering and Hyundai Heavy Industries.
Seaspan and partners will look towards commercialisation for their large-scale, ammonia-powered container vessel design. Korea Maritime Consultants has been granted AiP for a small-sized container vessel concept for small-scale applications, and the Blaavinge consortium aims to develop their ammonia-powered offshore wind service vessel in time for use in the Utsira Nord project in Norway.
Two ammonia-ready vessels - the CMA CGM Masai Mara and the ALS Ceres - were delivered this May. Both are the first in a series of six containerships contracted to be built at different Chinese shipyards.
ABS has used computational fluid dynamics to model ammonia dispersion patterns in a ship’s engine room, with the aim of producing a fast, real-time response system for ammonia leaks. In Japan, a fuel supply system for large-scale, low-speed, two-stroke marine engines is undergoing final verification testing. Mitsubishi Shipbuilding aims to become a key technology provider of such systems, and in the ammonia maritime fuel space.
A high-profile consortium will conduct a joint study exploring ammonia bunkering at the Port of Savannah in Georgia, USA. The consortium aims to establish a comprehensive supply chain to allow ship-to-ship ammonia bunkering in Savannah, and the study scope includes design of an Ammonia Bunkering Articulated Tug-Barge (AB-ATB) vessel.
The US and Norway launched the Green Shipping Challenge in Sharm el-Sheikh this month. The Challenge encompasses more than forty different announcements & initiatives, including ammonia fuel production in Namibia, ammonia-powered cargo shipping in Finland, ammonia-powered pilot vessels in Norway's Green Shipping Programme, and a host of new green corridor projects. A trio of new reports have also provided an assessment of progress to date in green corridor development, and suggested key next steps.
Nanyang Technical University, the Singapore Maritime Institute, ASTI and the American Bureau of Shipping have released their long-awaited report into safety considerations for ammonia bunkering. The report identifies the highest-risk bunkering scenarios, uses theoretical release simulations to determine maximum impact distances, and outlines the key requirements for developing mitigation measures going forward.
ABS has granted Approval in Principle to Keppel Offshore & Marine for an ammonia-fueled, ammonia bunkering vessel. The new vessel is a key component of Project Sabre: a high-profile consortium of maritime organisations aiming to commence ammonia bunkering in Singapore by 2030.
Eastern Pacific Shipping will lead development of an ammonia-powered, dual-fuel gas tanker. The carrier will be built by Hyundai Heavy Industries, registered under the Singapore national flag, classed by ABS, and will be the first vessel fitted with MAN Energy Solutions’ G60 two-stroke dual-fuel ammonia engine. As EPS steadily scales up its engagement with maritime ammonia, another high-profile consortium is accelerating a bunkering study in Singapore.
The American Bureau of Shipping awarded AiP to a design for an offshore CO2 injection platform developed by Hyundai Heavy Industries. The design is one of two being developed - the other being a renewable hydrogen offshore production platform powered by on- or offshore wind power. The partners are targeting 2025 for both designs to be constructed and operational.
This week we explore a trio of announcements out of China:
1. The ammonia-ready vessel Kriti Future has been delivered to owners Avin International.
2. Höegh Autoliners has contracted China Merchants Heavy Industry to build at least four of their new ammonia-ready vessel design: the Aurora-class car carrier. The new builds will meet requirements for DNV GL's methanol and ammonia-ready notation guides.
3. And Swiss-based shipping giant MSC has placed an order for six ammonia-ready container ships from Dalian Shipbuilding in China. The vessels will be powered by WinGD dual-fuel engines, for which retrofits will be available by 2024/5 to run on methanol and ammonia.
A consortium led by Sembcorp Marine has been granted AiP by the American Bureau of Shipping for a new ammonia bunkering vessel design. Sembcorp and its subsidiary LMG Marin (who was recently engaged by Grieg Maritime and Wartsila to design the MS Green Ammonia) were responsible for the design phase, which passed a rigorous HAZID assessment with support from the American Bureau of Shipping. Consortium partners also include Mitsui O.S.K. Lines and Itochu, two organisations with growing ammonia interests in Singapore. The new announcement is one of a number of ammonia & ammonia-ready bunkering designs in progress, with Korean Register, Oceania, Kanfer, Azane Fuel Solutions and the Korean Green Ammonia Shipping/Bunkering Consortium all at various stages of progress with their designs.
As part of its efforts to support the adoption of ammonia as an alternative maritime fuel, the American Bureau of Shipping has published a new, comprehensive guide to ammonia-fueled vessels. ABS joins DNV GL, the Korean Register, RINA and Bureau Veritas in publishing ammonia-ready notations, fuel guidelines & vessel guides this year.
Two recent announcements show Singapore emerging as a center for development of ammonia as a maritime fuel. In both cases, multi-party coalitions, with Singaporean connections, are focusing on ground-breaking work.
Last month brought news of "the world’s first ammonia ready vessel.” According to an American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) press release, the vessel, currently under construction in China, will comply “with the ABS Ammonia Ready Level 1 requirements, indicating it is designed to be converted to run on ammonia in the future.” When completed, the 274-meter ship (and possibly two others of identical design) will join the fleet of Avin International.
Pandemic or no pandemic, the Australian chapter of the Ammonia Energy Association (AEA Australia) will hold a second edition of its Ammonia = Hydrogen 2.0 Conference this year. The event will be held on a virtual basis on August 27 and 28 from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. (Australian Eastern Standard Time) each day. The conference tagline is “Building an energy export industry using Green Ammonia.” Its themes this year will be “green ammonia production — jobs for the regions;” “ammonia as maritime bunker fuel;” and “ammonia certification schemes.” The opening address, entitled “Ammonia — is it a fuel, or is it an energy carrier?” will be given by Alan Finkel, Chief Scientist of the Australian Government.
This morning, the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping was announced. Launched with a “start-up donation” of DKK 400 million (USD 60 million) from the A.P. Møller Foundation, this new research institute intends “to develop new fuel types and technologies,” to decarbonize the maritime sector. Behind the Center for Zero Carbon Shipping is a significant industrial consortium with seven founding members (actively seeking additional partners): ABS, A.P. Moller – Maersk, Cargill, MAN Energy Solutions, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, NYK Lines, and Siemens Energy.
Three separate projects to design a range of ammonia-fueled vessels were announced last week at a shipping industry conference in China. Lloyd's Register has granted Approval in Principle (AiP) for the design of a 180,000 ton bulk carrier. ABS announced a project to "produce designs for an ammonia-fueled Chittagongmax container carrier of 2700 TEU capacity." And Lloyd's Register also announced a project for "an ammonia-fuelled 23,000 TEU Ultra-Large Container Ship (ULCS) concept design." All three projects are working with the two-stroke ammonia engine developed by MAN Energy Solutions, and all are led by major shipbuilders in China.
The maritime industry has been engaged in a frenzy of research since April 2018, when the International Maritime Organization (IMO) announced its Initial GHG Strategy mandating a 50% reduction in shipping's emissions by 2050. Three recent announcements illustrate the speed and depth of progress across a range of maritime stakeholders. In the government sector, the UK has launched its Clean Maritime Plan, which identifies ammonia as one of its strategic "clean growth opportunities." In finance, a coalition of 11 banks representing a shipping portfolio of around $100 billion has launched the Poseidon Principles to "redefine the role of banks in the maritime shipping sector." And class society ABS launched its Global Sustainability Center in Singapore to analyse, certify, and validate alternative fuels and new technologies; its Director of Global Sustainability will speak at the inaugural conference of the Ammonia Energy Association--Australia, held in Clayton, VIC, on August 22-23. His subject will be "Green ammonia as marine bunker fuel."